The present application pertains in general to dispensers for dispensing liquid products from a container, and more particularly to an overcap assembly for such a container, designed to permit a user to produce either a short spray or a fog of the entire contents of the container.
Devices manufactured for use with a can or other container and used to dispense a product provided therein are well known. One type of dispenser cap of this general sort permits the dispensing of the product in the container at the press of a valve button which constitutes part of the cap. Typically, depression of such a valve button releases the product in the form of a spray. Other types of caps which dispense product as a fog or the like are also known, as are caps which can dispense the product in the form of a stream.
It has been proposed at various times to produce container caps to permit dispensing a product from a container with one of two patterns. For example, two different spray patterns might be possible, depending on the position of a particular part of the cap. However, applicants know of no device which would make it possible to dispense the product either as a spray in different axes, depending on the position of a single movable part of the cap. Moreover, most devices which permit selection of two or more directions of output are relatively complex and awkward. (Hereinafter, throughout the specification and claims, "spray" is used to mean material in droplet form, moving with relatively great directivity, while "fog" is used to mean material in particulate form, moving with relatively low force and directivity in a cloud like body such as produced when the entire contents of an aerosol container are expelled at one time.)
It would be desirable to provide a simple, reliable and easy-to-manufacture device suitable for use on a dispenser can or other container and able to dispense the contents selectively either as a spray or as a fog.